


Definitely a something

by kyjr



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, Kanjani8 (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyjr/pseuds/kyjr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The bartender is exceptionally rude and blunt, but Shige finds that there's just something about Ryo that drags him back to that bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Definitely a something

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://crumplelush.livejournal.com/profile)[**crumplelush**](http://crumplelush.livejournal.com/) for the [](http://mini-ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**mini_ryo**](http://mini-ryo.livejournal.com/)exchange. Originally posted [here](http://mini-ryo.livejournal.com/2228.html#cutid1)

The bar was small.

It was small, and rather dark, but cozy. There were about ten people scattered about, lounging behind crickety wooden tables on crickety wooden chairs, all nursing some kind of alcohol and chatting to each other in hushed tones. There was also a small stage to the side, where a woman in her late twenties sat on a stool, a battered old guitar in her lap as she sang into a microphone, her voice soft as it drifted across the bar.

Shige cast a look about the place. Koyama had told him about it, in a final effort get him out of his apartment, and he had eventually given in, bundling his notebooks up under his arm and venturing out into the night. It had taken a while to find the place though - it was on the second floor of the building, the first floor being some kind of meeting place that Shige had practically scuttled through, so he didn't really pay it much attention.

But it was rather nice, Shige thought as he made his way carefully over to the bar. He chose the seat right in the corner, where the bar kind of curved around, and sat with his back to the stage. He placed his notebooks down on the top of the bar, and fumbled around in his coat pocket for his pen, before pausing.

The bartender was watching him.

Shige quickly averted his gaze, staring resolutely at the cover of his book. The lighting was horrible but luckily, Shige had managed to find a seat underneath one of the lights, so he could see reasonably well. He flipped to the page he needed, re-reading over what was already written, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to concentrate over the sounds of the next band setting up.

"Want a drink?"

Shige looked up, coming face-to-face with the bartender. He had dark skin and ebony hair that fell messily into his eyes - eyes which were the blackest of black and seemed to stare right through him. He wore a faded grey shirt with some American band name on the front with peeling white letters, and held a tattered old teatowel in his hand.

"Huh?"

"You," he said rather roughly, "What do you want to drink?"

"Nothing," Shige said after a pause, "Nothing, I'm fine."

The bartender raised an eyebrow, but moved away, allowing Shige to breathe. Shige went back to reading, sighing a little. What kind of bartender spoke like that to his customers, anyway? Oh-- there was a mistake in his handwriting. He quickly scribbled it out, squeezing in the new words just above the mistake, and smiled to himself. Yes. That was better.

A drink was placed in front of him. Shige looked up, a little startled, but the bartender just smiled a little. "It's on the house," he said. "Well, no. It's on me."

The man who was sitting a few seats away from Shige looked up. "What?" he asked. "You never give me free drinks, Ryo!"

The bartender - Ryo, Shige assumed - pulled a face. "That's because I'm not allowed to give you more than five drinks, Pi," he said, moving about to dry some glasses to the side. "And I don't want to encourage you."

"I don't know what you're talking about; I'm a lovely drunk," the other man said, his eyes unfocused.

"You're a horrible drunk," Ryo scoffed. "Don't you remember the time I gave you an extra drink and you puked all over the drumkit?"  
He blinked. "Oh, right."

"And this is why we have the sign. You're only allowed five drinks," Ryo said, pointing behind him, where there was a slip of paper stuck to a shelf. The other man pouted.

"I don't like the sign."

"You've had five, now get out," Ryo spat, throwing down a few notes in front of the other. "Here, cab fare."

Pi grumbled but took the money, sliding out of his chair. "Bye, Ryo," he said, waving in the bartender's general direction as he turned and stumbled out of the bar.

Ryo laughed to himself, turning his attention back to the glasses he was drying, and Shige went back to his book. He shouldn't get so distracted; he had a chapter to finish writing.

The rest of the night was rather quiet. Shige sat by himself in the corner for another five hours, flicking through his notebook and sometimes jotting something down. Occasionally the bartender would peer over to him, as if assuring himself that Shige was still there, but Shige ignored him in favour of his work. He needed to get this done.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He could feel a headache coming on. "Ugh," he muttered, eyebrows furrowed as he stared blankly at the writing in front of him. Right now, all his kanji looked the same, lines bleeding into each other and swimming before his eyes.

Shige looked up when another drink was placed in front of him. "Thought you needed another," was all the bartender said, and Shige blinked, staring as the man took the first, now empty, glass away. He didn't even remember drinking it in the first place.

"Oh. Thankyou," Shige said, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

Ryo paused. "You talking to me?" he asked, setting the glass down.

"...Yes."

"Oh," he said, checking the clock that was perched on one of the shelves, "It's almost twelve."

Shige blinked. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

It was only then that Shige realised that it was only the two of them in the bar, not including the man who was passed out in the corner, beer bottle still in his hand."I should go," Shige said, scrambling to his feet and sweeping his notes back under his arm, pocketing his pen and pushing the drink back towards the bartender, who was just watching him.

"Why do you have to go?"

Shige paused. "What?"

"The name's Nishikido Ryo," he said suddenly, moving forward and holding a hand out across the bar. Shige stared at it for awhile, and Ryo slowly moved it away. "Sorry, I--"

"No, it's not that--"

"--probably won't come again anyway--"

"--the books under my arms--"

"--you don't really need to know it--"

"--I can't really move to shake your hand--"

"--sorry."

"--sorry. What?"

Ryo had moved away again, bringing out a mop. "Nothing."

"You are a very confusing person," Shige commented. Ryo just grunted at him.

"Hurry up and go away so I can clean," he said, already starting to mop the floor at Shige's feet. "Move it."

Shige laughed a little before walking away, casting a final look over his shoulder when he was at the doorway. "My name's Shige," he said, and the bartender looked up. "Kato Shigeaki."

Ryo seemed to think for a while. "Well, that's a shit name," he said eventually, and Shige laughed.

"Goodbye."

 

>>><<<

 

The next day, Shige once again found himself in the same seat, staring at the drink Ryo had placed in front of him. "It's not gonna drink itself," Ryo snapped, "Stop staring at it. And don't get used to this," he continued, moving away to find his teatowel and proceeded to dry the glasses that he had just finished washing, "You're going to have to pay your own tomorrow."

"Uh, yes. Thankyou."

"Ryo. Drink." Pi was back, sitting on the same stool as yesterday, arm raised with a glass in his hand. He slumped forward, his forehead thumping against the counter. "Now, or I think I'll die."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "You won't die, Pi--"

"Yes, I will."

Ryo quickly counted the glasses in front of Pi - three - and snatched the one out of his hand. "I hate you," he muttered, refilling it with some kind of brown-coloured alcohol. Shige wrinkled his nose at the smell. Ryo practically slammed it down in front of Pi, making him - and Shige - jump.

"Yay."

Ryo hit him over the head. "Ungrateful idiot. You should thank me," he said, but Pi just pulled a face before sipping at the drink, sighing happily.

The bar was as full - or as empty - as it had been the night before, the steady drone of chatter somehow making it a little easier for Shige to concentrate. He opened his book, pen already poised, ready to write.

He had sentences already tumbling through his mind, eager to be put into words; he scribbled and scrawled for hours, his pen flying across the page, barely distracted by the man who accidentally bumped into him or the bands on-stage.

Ryo would often look over to him, curiosity shining in those dark eyes of his. Shige had only caught him once, when he took a slight break to roll his shoulders and check the time, but Ryo had quickly looked away and busied himself with another customer, who was dripping beer onto the floor.

But his words were calling him again, and Shige hastily put his pen back to the paper, barely writing fast enough to keep up with his mind. His drink was replaced with another - this time a beer, because Ryo didn't want to "waste all the good stuff on the freeloader", as he put it - and Shige sipped at it slowly as he wrote.

Around ten o'clock he started slowing down, pausing to scribble little doodles into the margins of the page - Doraemon and bears with hats and circles upon circles upon circles. He had written almost four pages, and he sighed, content with the amount that he had managed to complete.

"So, what is all that, anyway?" Shige looked up to see Ryo peering down at his books, practically leaning over the top of the counter.

"Oh, uh, nothing much," Shige said, closing the books as swiftly as he could, but Ryo was faster, grabbing onto one and backing away out of Shige's reach. "Hey-- no, give that back!"

But Ryo had this smirk on his face as he opened the notebook, and Shige knew he wasn't getting it back anytime soon. Shige bit his lip as Ryo read, his heart beating hard against his chest. He didn't like other people reading what he had written.

"What is this?" Ryo asked eventually, flipping the book over to look at the plain cover, perhaps to search for a title or some kind of description as to what was inside.

"Nothing, can I just ha--"

"It's not _nothing_ , it's definitely a something."

"Well, of course it's a something," Shige said, standing and trying to stretch over the counter to get his book back, but Ryo just stepped further away. "It's-- just-- please, can I have it back?"

"Your glasses are slipping," Ryo said casually as he continued to flick through the book - Shige's precious book - and Shige huffed before pushing his glasses further up his nose. They were always falling. Stupid glasses. Stupid bartender.

"Don't you-- don't you have someone else to serve?"

"Probably," Ryo shrugged, "But this is more interesting. You use big words, Shigeaki- _san_."

Shige glared as Ryo ignored him and read on. "Definitely more interesting," Ryo smirked.

(Eventually Shige really did launch himself across the counter, much to Ryo's surprise, and pried the book out of his hands. Ryo then beat him with his teatowel, ordering him to get out.)

"So, you're some kind of writer?" Ryo asked the next time Shige dared to come back.

"No."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm some kind of hedgehog."

"You look like one," Shige retorted, and Ryo raised his eyebrows.

"Well then," he muttered, "You can buy your own drinks tonight."

"Was planning on it," Shige said, sliding into his usual seat and waving a hand at Pi.

And again, as soon as he started writing, he couldn't stop, the pen flowing across the page, his kanji blending together with the speed at which he wrote, lines everywhere and running into the next character. At least he could read his own writing. Sometimes.

The Doraemon drawing from yesterday cheerfully winked up at him from its place on the page as he wrote, making him smile a little. If the book was a flop, maybe he should start drawing. Or photography. Photography could be fun. He could borrow his mother's camera and--

"You're talking to yourself," Ryo said in passing, snapping Shige out of his thoughts. He shook his head at himself and stretched his arms a little before getting back to work, staring at the mess of kanji on the page.

The next few days were the same. He would make his way home after work - computers and numbers and white screens still flashing in front of his eyes - get changed, grab his books, and head to the bar, where Ryo would nod his head at him before moving to clean up someone's mess.

There was one night when Shige was writing in his usual spot - almost at the end of this notebook, he needed to buy another - when Ryo perched himself on the stool next to him, throwing him a glare. "Shut up, my feet are tired," he said as way of explanation. "Continue with your scribbling."

Shige said nothing, but felt too self-conscious to keep writing with Ryo right there, even if he was just staring ahead at nothing. "Don't feel like it," Shige said, closing the book and moving it away.

Ryo snorted. "You act as if you don't write like the world is ending every night."

"Huh?"

Ryo nodded towards his books, which were firmly under Shige's elbow. "Why are you writing all that?"

Shige stared at Pi, who was singing under his breath and blowing into his almost-empty glass. Ryo elbowed him. "Ouch! What?" he snapped.

"Come back to Earth, Aki," Ryo said, taking a long drink of Shige's beer.

"Aki?" Shige spluttered. "What the heck?"

Ryo shrugged. "Toying with nicknames. I don't like that one much, though," he said. "You need another beer," he continued, before tipping the bottle up and finishing it.

"I would get one, if the bartender would actually do his job for once," Shige said, and Pi cheered.

"Not for you!" Ryo barked.

"Stupid sign!"

"Your glasses are slipping again," Ryo commented as he went back behind the bar to get Shige (and himself) another beer. Shige pushed his glasses up again. "You should get those fixed."

"You shouldn't be drinking on the job."

"Eh, who cares." Ryo was back by his side soon enough, passing him his beer and uncapping his own. "So, what're you writing there?"

Shige toyed with the idea of shrugging the question off. But there was something about the way Ryo was looking at the notebook from the corner of his eye, trying and failing to hide his interest. Shige smiled a little.

"Why are you so intent on knowing?" he asked, and Ryo took another drink, shrugging.

"Dunno. You write in it all the time; I wanna know what keeps your interest so much," he said offhandedly, keeping an eye of Pi, who had gotten to his feet. "Watch it, Pi."

"I'm leaving!" he announced to the whole bar, but only Shige nodded. "Goodbye, Ryo. Goodbye, person with nice hair whose name I have yet to learn."

"It's Shige," Ryo said, fishing around in his jean pocket and pulling out some notes. "And here's your cab money."

Pi smiled as he took it, petting Shige on the head before leaving, but not without a final wave to the other occupants, who ignored him completely. He didn't seem to mind.

"Why do you pay his taxi fare?" Shige asked out of curiosity. Whenever he was there, Ryo would always give Pi the correct money. Pi didn't even have to ask.

Ryo pulled a face. "I don't trust him. If I don't give him the money, he'll probably try to drive."

"So you're scared he'll run off the road?" Shige asked, and Ryo gave him a look.

"Yeah," he murmured eventually, taking a long drink and sighing. "Ah well. Now, I answered your question, give me an answer to mine."

"But--but that's completely different!"

"Don't care. Still a question," Ryo laughed - he had a nice laugh - and stood, walking back behind the bar as a customer flagged him down. "I'm coming, hold your horses."

Shige looked down at his book as Ryo served the customer, eyes roaming over its battered surface. He had etched random drawings and shapes into the cover, spirals and triangles looping over one another. Should he show Ryo? Well, the other had already seen some. Maybe he should.

"So?" Ryo asked, and Shige glanced up, coming face-to-face with Ryo, who was leaning over the bar. "Can I see? You know I'm just gonna bug you until you give in," he added, when he noticed that Shige was hesitating.

Fine. Fine, Shige thought. What did he have to lose? So Shige wordlessly handed Ryo the notebook, muttering a quick, "It's not finished yet," before gathering the rest of his things, placing a couple of bills on the table and rushing out.

"Wait, what?"

 

>>><<<

 

Shige's heart was pounding as he stood in the doorway of the bar, and he took a deep breath in, ready to hear the criticism about his writing. Ryo looked up when he walked in, and turned away to get Shige's drink.

Maybe Shige wasn't completely ready yet. But his feet were walking towards his usual place without him telling them to, greeting Pi and nodding at Ryo, who nodded back and slid his beer bottle over to him, holding a finger up to tell him to wait as he served another customer.

Shige's stomach was tumbling about itself as he waited for Ryo to finish, his beer lying untouched in front of him. He felt kind of empty without his usual books with him.

"Stupid customers," Ryo muttered, throwing his teatowel down into the sink and coming over to lean his arms against the counter near Shige. "I hate them sometimes."

"You hate everyone," Pi said helpfully, and Ryo laughed.

"True."

Shige was scanning Ryo's face for some kind of sign as to whether or not he had liked his writing - or read it at all - but he wasn't giving away anything. His heart was pounding rather hard against his chest, and he just wanted to know.

"So?" he asked, interrupting Ryo and Pi's little banter. They both stared at him. "Oh, sorry..."

"No, it's fine," Pi said, standing. "I need to pee anyway."

"Information, Pi!" Ryo groaned. "No-one has to know wh--"

"It is vital information that you all needed to know," Pi said with a little smile. Ryo sighed as Pi left.

"Why is he my friend?" he muttered, before turning to Shige, who was by now wringing his shirt in his hands. "What did you want again?" he asked. "Glasses," he added.

Shige pushed his glasses back up - he should get them tightened one of these days - and took another breath before asking. "Did you read my b-- that notebook?"

"Oh," Ryo said, ducking down under the counter and out of Shige's sight. Shige blinked. "Yeah, I read it," Ryo's rather muffled voice said, and then he appeared again, flicking the hair out of his eyes and passing Shige his book back.

Shige stared. Ryo just poked him in the forehead with the spine of the notebook until he took it. "Was it that bad?" he asked, taking it back. Ryo snatched it again and whacked him over the head. "Ow! What was that for?" Shige screeched, rubbing the top of his head as Ryo tossed the book onto the counter.

"That was because you're stupid," Ryo said, crossing his arms. "Hang on - customer - I _will_ be back, Shigeaki," he muttered, moving away to pour out a glass of orange juice for the customer. Shige could practically hear the scowl that was written all over Ryo's face. "...not a fucking grocery store," he heard him mumble as he passed, rolling his eyes a little. "Now, you," he said, and Shige jumped a little.

"What?"

"That...book thing," Ryo mumbled, yawning a little. "It's good."

"Look, it's not finished, and-- ...what?" Shige stared, forgetting to breathe for a second. Ryo was staring back at him with those black eyes, just watching his reaction.

"It's good," he repeated, a little slower. "Like, really good. It all kinda plays out in front of your eyes like a movie, y'know?"

"Wha-- really?" Shige stuttered, and Ryo laughed.

"Yeah. Mind you, I couldn't figure out half the words, 'cause your handwriting is shit, but yeah, it was okay."

Shige thought his face was going to break, his smile was that wide. Ryo gave a hesitant smile back, like he wasn't sure why Shige was so happy. "What's up?" he asked, like there was something wrong with Shige for being too happy.

"Nothing," Shige said, barely able to contain his excitement. "It's just that-- no-one's ever said that to me before."

"How come?"

And Shige found himself telling Ryo about his past, about the ups and downs and ins and outs and he didn't know if Ryo cared - he probably didn't - but he wasn't showing any signs of boredom, so Shige continued.

The last time someone had read something he had written, his father had thrown it in the trash and ordered him never to write again. He hadn't spoken to him since he moved out. Now that he had finished law school like his father had wanted him to, he was free to do whatever he wanted. And he wanted to write.

"I'm trying to write a novel," Shige finished, and Ryo nodded. "Those are only the first six or so chapters, and they're not even that good--"

"Shut up or I'll hit you again," Ryo said, stealing Shige's beer and opening it for him. "I told you, it's good. Stop being so negative."

Shige laughed a little bitterly. "Ah well, that's just me."

"Yeah," Ryo said, taking a long drink of Shige's beer before adding a quiet, "Don't sell yourself short," and leaving to attend to Pi, who had come back and was now threatening to blow raspberries until Ryo gave him another drink.

The sad thing was that Shige didn't think Pi was that drunk yet.

That night, Shige went home feeling happier than he had been in years.

 

>>><<<

 

Months passed, and Shige still visited, his books tucked under his arm. Things changed - the upholstery on the couches; the curtains; the tiling in the bathrooms; the sink behind the counter - but the bartender stayed the same.

Shige liked staying late at the bar. He liked watching as people slowly stood, stumbling a little before waving goodbye to Ryo and walking away; he liked watching as Pi yawned and demanded another drink; he liked watching as Ryo hit Pi on the head before pointing wordlessly towards the sign.

He liked watching Ryo.

Ryo would listen to him as he stumbled his way through a possible storyline, throwing random questions at him to make him consider things he never would have thought before. Soon Shige was just looking forward to the nighttime so he could visit the bar - to see Ryo.

Especially to see Ryo.

Ryo was unlike anyone Shige had ever met. He was coarse and rough and sarcastic, but spoke with this underlying softness that Shige found that he rather liked.

And when his heart almost skipped a beat just because Ryo flashed a smile in his direction one night, Shige knew he was in trouble.

"How're the scribbles going?" Ryo asked, nodding towards Shige's open book.

"Not too good," Shige sighed, the writing on the pages blurring in front of his eyes. There was no use - he had a slight headache and his focus was a little fuzzy because of the two beers he had already drunk, so he just closed the book and rested his head in his hands.

"Oh well," Ryo said, "Can't be a genius every night."

Night after night, the feelings inside Shige would change and develop and twist and turn until it eventuated into something rather akin to love, something that ran up and down his spine and through his veins and kind of terrified Shige in all the best ways.

Sometimes, Shige liked to play with the thought that maybe Ryo felt the same. He knew it was ridiculous and that it wouldn't ever happen, but he would catch Ryo watching him with an indescribable look in his eyes every so often. Maybe.

And then there was one time when Ryo just stopped. Both Shige and Pi stared at him, waiting for him to start again. He stood behind the counter, a glass in-hand and in the middle of wiping it dry, but he had just stopped dead, eyes boring into Shige's own. Shige looked over at Pi, who looked a little confused, and back to Ryo, who was still standing stock-still.

"You broke him," Pi said.

"Uuh. Ryo? You okay?" Shige tried, and Ryo snapped out of it.

"What? Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Pi, want another drink?"

"But I've had five al--"

"Doesn't matter, have another."

Pi looked like Christmas had come early.

 

>>><<<

 

The night after that happened, Ryo was acting strange. He was jumpy and laughing at weird times and jerked away when Shige accidentally brushed past. "What's with you?" Shige asked when Ryo practically threw his usual beer at him.

"Nothing," was all he said, proceeding to pick up empty glasses that customers had left around the place, "Why would you ask?"

Shige sighed and went back to his writing, but it was rather difficult to think of adjectives when Ryo was huffing about. "No, really, what's up?"

Ryo swore when he dropped a glass on the floor. "Nothing, you-- you-- ugh I can't be bothered to think of a name right now," he muttered, pushing the hair out of his eyes and sighing in frustration. "Where's my broom?" he snapped, before pointing at Shige. "You! Make sure no-one steps on this shit while I go get my broom."

The mess was swept up and then Ryo was back behind the counter, mixing up a drink that looked a rather sickly green for a couple of short-skirted women.

Shige felt his stomach twist as one of the girls laid a hand on Ryo's forearm, making some lewd comment that had his eyebrows rising. But he was shaking his head, removing her hand from his arm and smiling a little. She tossed her hair as she turned, shaking him off and moving to her next target as the sounds of a rock trio played in the background.

"What was that about?" Shige asked, sipping at his beer and drawing random lines onto his page.

"What?" Ryo asked, pouring beer into a glass and handing it to another customer. "Oh. Nothing. She's not my type, that's all."  
Pi raised his glass to Shige when Ryo turned his back to him, winking a little. Shige's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" he mouthed, but Pi tipped his glass up and emptied it in one large sip, the hint of a smile playing about his mouth.

"Think I'll leave early, Ryo," Pi said, and Ryo nodded.

"Yeah, okay. Here," he said, handing Pi his taxi fare. Pi waved happily at him before moving towards Shige, bending down to whisper in his ear. "He's all yours."

"What?" Shige spluttered, turning around in time to see Pi wave again, this time with a wide smile on his face.

"You heard me!"

"What'd he say?" Ryo asked, but Shige just shook his head violently, sure he was red to the tips of his hair. "Okay, okay, careful or your head'll fly off."

As Ryo laughed and continued with his work, walking around the place and collecting empty glasses, Shige thought back on what Pi had said. Was he that obvious with his feelings? He thought he was doing a pretty good job with hiding how he felt about Ryo, but obviously not. Where had he slipped up?

"Have you written anything today?" Ryo asked when he came back.

"Yeah, just a little," Shige said, hoping that by now his cheeks were not as red as they were before.

"Have those two characters had sex yet?" he asked bluntly, and Shige almost spat out his beer.

"N-no, they haven't-- and they're not going to!" he quickly added at the look on Ryo's face. "It's not that kind of a novel!"

"Darn."

"I'm kind of almost done, too," Shige added, and Ryo looked at him.

"Seriously? Are you gonna get it published?"

Shige shrugged. "I suppose--"

"You'd better do it, or I won't let you through those doors again," Ryo threatened, waving his teatowel at Shige.

"Um," Shige said in a small voice, "Okay."

 

>>><<<

 

It was lunchtime. Lunchtime, and Shige was standing at the top of the stairs, staring at the door of the bar. It was open, Shige knew, because he could hear glasses being moved about on the other side, but yet he still stood there, his stomach flipping and his heart racing.

He had a bunch of papers in his bag, all typed up professionally with professional-looking bindings and a professional-looking logo on the front, and he was freaking out a little. He was still wearing his suit and his tie and his shiny new shoes (Koyama had picked them out; Shige was clueless), and his glasses were sliding down his nose again. Damn it.

Shige fixed his glasses up, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open and hoping that Ryo was there.

Ryo looked up as the door closed behind Shige, a look of surprise flashing across his handsome face. "Shige? What're you doing here?" he asked, sweeping his hair out of his eyes.

Shige smiled. There was something comforting about Ryo's presence, his racing heart already calming a little. "Hey," he said, walking forward. Ryo stood near the stage, hanging up some posters for the bands playing that night. There was another man behind the bar, with long black hair and the hint of facial hair upon his upper lip. He had serious eyes, and gave Shige a withering look before continuing with his job of fishing glasses out of the dishwasher and stacking them up on the shelves.

"Ah, that's Subaru," Ryo said, noticing where Shige was looking. "Just ignore him."

"Nice to meet you," Shige said anyway, but Subaru just nodded at him and turned away.

"We're all rude bastards here," Ryo said, laughing at the disgruntled look on Shige's face. "So, what're you doing here? You never come this early."

"Oh, that's right. I need to tell you something," he said.

"Baru!" Ryo barked, and the man looked up. "Give us a second?"

Subaru grumbled, placing a cup down hard against the counter and walking past them, mumbling something under his breath that Shige couldn't quite catch. "Will he be okay?" Shige had to ask, the door slamming behind the thin frame of the other bartender.  
Ryo grunted. "He'll be fine. What'd you need?" he asked, walking toward the bar. "Want a drink?"

"It's barely even one--"

"So? Have a coffee, then."

"...You serve coffee?" Shige asked incredulously, perching down in his usual place. Ryo grinned at that.

"Out of all the seats here, you still choose that one," he laughed. "And no, we don't, but I think you need it. You look pale."

"I do?"

Ryo grunted again, shushing him and disappearing through another door - the workers' breakroom, Shige assumed - and soon Ryo was coming back through with two coffees in his hands and a grimace on his face. "What did you do?" Shige deadpanned, and Ryo made a noise.

"Spilt it. Shut up," he grumbled, as Shige laughed, placing one of the cups in front of Shige and cradling the other in his hands. "What did you wanna tell me?"

Shige took a tentative sip of his coffee, pulling a face. "Milk!" he ordered, and Ryo spun on his heel, reaching into the fridge.

"Fussy," he said, as he poured some milk into Shige's coffee, but Shige just smiled.

"Thank you."Shige unzipped his bag with Ryo looking on with curiosity, pulling out the stack of papers that still looked so intimidating. "And... it's this."

"This?" Ryo repeated, pointing to the papers. "What are they?"

Shige held them out to Ryo, pretending to busy himself with his coffee. It was nicer with milk. He watched the milky brown of the coffee swirl about inside the porcelain cup as Ryo flicked through the papers, his heart once again beating too hard against his chest.

After a moment of silence, Ryo asked, "Shige, what is this?"

"What it says on the cover."

Ryo hit him over the head with the papers, and forced him to look up. "This is a contract," he said, waving it about a bit. Shige nodded. "This is a contract to a publishing company," he continued, and Shige nodded again, albeit a little slower. "You're gonna publish your book?"

"You're fast," Shige laughed shakily, but Ryo was looking at him with a mixture of astonishment and a kind of respect on his face. "Are you okay?"

"You did it?"

"Yes--"

And Ryo was leaning over the counter, taking his face in his hands and kissing him; kissing him breathless. He kissed softly, like Shige was something he was scared to break; Shige could feel his lips trembling a little against his own.

Ryo pulled away, staring at him with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he had just done. "Shit," he said. "Don't freak out on me."

But Shige was rolling his eyes and pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt, kissing him again. "Shut up, Ryo," he whispered against his lips. "For once, just shut up."

Ryo kissed him instead of answering.

 

>>><<<

 

Months later, when Shige walked through the door of the bar, the bartender looked up and smiled one of those breathtaking smiles of his. "Hey, Shige. Beer?"

Shige nodded, sliding into his usual seat after waving at Pi, who was staring at his phone. "What's up with him?"

"Nothing, he's just... being Pi," Ryo said, handing Shige his beer. "How was work?"

"Fine. Boring. The usual," Shige answered. "But I need to show you something."

"Eh?"

Shige opened his bag, laughing at Ryo's puzzled expression, and pulled out the object that he had been working so hard towards. "Look," he said, making sure it was clean before presenting his newly bound novel to Ryo.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ryo asked, already reaching for it, holding it as if it were the most precious thing he had ever held. Shige smiled widely.

"Yep."

"Shige," Ryo murmured, sounding rather awestruck. "Shige, I am so proud of you."

Shige went red. "Well-- thanks-- but, really--"

"No buts," Ryo said firmly, running a hand over the cover of the book, pausing on the printed characters spelling out Shige's name. "You worked hard for this moment. Is this the first one printed?"

"...Yeah," Shige said, feeling like the breath was knocked out of him at Ryo's words. "Yes, it is."

For the first time, Ryo leant over and kissed him right there, in front of everyone at the bar - in front of Subaru, who was helping with the crowd that night; in front of Pi, who was still staring at his phone screen; in front of all his regular customers. Ryo pulled away first, resting his forehead on Shige's own and looking deep into his eyes.

"You have no idea how much I love you."

 

\--the end


End file.
